TABLE OF CONTENTS Fiber optic-based passive components have potential applications in optical long distance communication, scientific research, photonic sensors, medical equipment, industrial systems, space sensors, and military weapons systems. Frequently used fiber optic (FO) based components and devices include directional couplers, attenuators, fiber lasers, variable-ratio polarization-maintaining couplers, spectral filters, isolators, circulators, combiners and splitters, polarization-dependent loss compensators, polarization scramblers, limiters and high speed optical switches. High-speed switches include micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), thermo-optical switches, FO-based cross-matrix switches and photon switches. It is important to mention that certain FO-based components such as couplers, isolators, Bragg grating filters and cross-matrix switches are widely used in wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) and de-multiplexing systems as illustrated in Figure 3.1. Pass band optical filter is the most critical element and is widely used in a variety of applications including electro-optic, opto-electronic, photonics and infrared (IR) sensors. These filters have pass-band requirements ranging from a few angstroms to a few hundred angstroms. Performance requirements, capabilities, limitations and reliability aspects of critical FO-based components and devices will be discussed. The latest application of fiber optic technology called FIBER TO THE HOME (FTTH) will be briefly reviewed. The FTTH technology has potential for new Internet/TV/Phone appliances on top of the home "TRIPLEXING" boxes that are capable of receiving and splitting the triple-play signals at each home. It takes a video signal seven hours to download by a cable modem, while it requires ONLY three minutes using the FO-based FTTH technology.
